Tag Archive for: Telecoms

What China’s targeting of US telecoms means for post-quantum security

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Ceding the initiative to an adversary is a difficult position to recover from — even in cyberspace. Chinese state-sponsored cyber actors are seizing the initiative to exploit publicly known vulnerabilities to unpatched network devices, such as home office routers, to compromise major U.S. telecommunications companies and network service providers, the FBI and other agencies warn in the latest joint cybersecurity advisory. 

These cyber actors are infiltrating victims’ accounts by “using publicly available exploit code against virtual private network (VPN) services, or public facing applications — without using their own distinctive or identifying malware — so long as the actors acted before victim organizations updated their systems,” the advisory explained. 

While defending against common vulnerabilities is essential, the Biden administration must maintain the initiative against post-quantum cryptography threats. Post-quantum refers to the stage when quantum computers advance to “a sufficient size and level of sophistication” that they break the cryptography that secures our digital communications and financial transactions on the internet. These systems are cryptanalytically relevant quantum computers, meaning they could pose significant national, economic and cybersecurity risks to the United States by weakening the public-key cryptography we rely on to communicate.

It is not a question of if, but when cryptanalytically relevant quantum computers will be developed, according to the White House’s fact sheet on quantum technologies, which estimates this milestone is attainable “at some point in the not-too-distant future.”

Last May, the Biden administration enacted two directives to expand the 2018 National Quantum Initiative Act: an executive order establishing a committee to advise the White House about the National Quantum Initiative program; and the National Security Memorandum on Promoting United States Leadership in Quantum Computing. The memorandum warns that quantum information science presents significant security risks to cryptographic systems that safeguard critical infrastructure and secure military and civilian…

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China-backed hackers breach 'major' telecoms firms: US

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“These devices are overlooked by cyber defenders quite often, who struggle to maintain and keep pace with routine software patching of Internet-facing..

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UAE telecoms group takes 9.8 per cent stake in Vodafone

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Emirates Telecommunications Group has acquired a 9.8 per cent stake in Vodafone for around $4.4bn as it kick-starts its latest expansion into international markets.

The state-controlled UAE group, formerly known as Etisalat and now rebranded e&, on Saturday said the investment allowed it to “gain significant exposure to a world leader in connectivity and digital services”. e& said the transaction provided a “compelling and attractive valuation”.

The Abu Dhabi-listed group said it planned to be a long-term shareholder in Vodafone and was supportive of Vodafone’s board. There were no plans to make an offer for the British multinational, it added.

“We are looking forward to building a mutually beneficial strategic partnership with Vodafone with the goal of driving value creation for both our businesses, exploring opportunities in the rapidly developing global telecom market and supporting the adoption of next-generation technologies,” Hatem Dowidar, chief executive, said in a statement.

Vodafone acknowledged the investment, saying it looked forward to building a long-term relationship with Etisalat.

Vodafone has been under pressure since it emerged that Cevian Capital, Europe’s largest activist investor, had built an unspecified stake, and had been angling for an overhaul of what its investors believe to be an overly-complex business model.

Investors at Cevian have called for the company to shed poorly performing parts of the business, and make material progress towards mergers or acquisitions in markets that chief executive Nick Read has said he is looking to do deals in, namely the UK, Italy and Spain.

The Financial Times reported earlier this week that Vodafone was in talks to combine its UK operations with its domestic rival Three UK, the mobile operator owned by Hong Kong infrastructure conglomerate CK Hutchison.

Karen Egan, an analyst at Enders Analysis, said e&’s stake amounted to “another shareholder to add to the pressure on Read . . . at a crucial time for him”.

“A company like that doesn’t take a sizeable minority position unless they think they can have a lot of influence and I don’t think that they would buy a company like Vodafone…

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Government consults on legal direction to restrict Huawei in UK telecoms networks

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A consultation has been launched with telecoms firms on proposed legal instruments to control the use of Huawei in UK networks.

UK telecoms providers have already begun to remove Huawei from the UK’s 5G networks following the government’s announcement in July 2020. As the next step in this process, the government is now required by the new Telecommunications (Security) Act to consult with industry on the proposed measures which would bring these controls on Huawei onto a legal footing.

In November the Act became law – giving the government the legal mechanism to restrict the use of high risk vendor equipment in public networks where deemed necessary and proportionate in the interests of national security. The new powers will ensure UK mobile networks remain safe and secure as 5G becomes progressively more embedded in our national infrastructure, industries and daily lives.

The legal instruments the government is consulting on are known as a ‘designated vendor direction’, which contains requirements that public telecoms providers would need to follow regarding use of Huawei equipment and services; and a ‘designation notice’ which categorises Huawei as a high-risk vendor.

The consultation will last for four weeks and is only open to public communications providers which would receive the direction, and Huawei, as the proposed designated vendor.

The direction, subject to the consultation, legally requires telecoms operators to:

  • Remove all Huawei equipment from 5G networks by the end of 2027.
  • Not install Huawei equipment in 5G networks, effective immediately upon the issuing of the final direction.
  • Remove all Huawei equipment from the core of telecoms networks by 28 January 2023.
  • Not install sanctions-affected Huawei equipment in full fibre networks, effective immediately upon the issuing of the direction. This includes any equipment for which the supply chain or manufacturing process has been altered due to the impact of US sanctions.
  • Reduce the share of Huawei equipment to 35 per cent of the full fibre and 5G access (i.e. non-core) networks by 31 July 2023, six months later than previously announced due to the difficulties providers have faced during the…

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